U.S. patent application number 16/082915 was filed with the patent office on 2019-03-21 for antenna system loaded in vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is LG ELECTRONICS INC.. Invention is credited to Sunin JEONG, Yongkon KIM, Jongsun PARK.
Application Number | 20190089419 16/082915 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61726474 |
Filed Date | 2019-03-21 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190089419 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KIM; Yongkon ; et
al. |
March 21, 2019 |
ANTENNA SYSTEM LOADED IN VEHICLE
Abstract
An antenna system loaded in a vehicle according to the present
invention includes a first antenna system to perform beamforming by
a plurality of first communication antenna elements disposed to
transmit and receive a first signal according to a first
communication system, and a second antenna system to perform a
Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) by a plurality of second
communication antenna elements disposed to transmit and receive a
second signal according to a second communication system, whereby a
plurality of communication services can be provided through a flat
vehicle antenna having beamforming array antennas capable of
providing next generation communication services and MIMO antennas
capable of providing existing mobile communication services.
Inventors: |
KIM; Yongkon; (Seoul,
KR) ; PARK; Jongsun; (Seoul, KR) ; JEONG;
Sunin; (Seoul, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LG ELECTRONICS INC. |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
61726474 |
Appl. No.: |
16/082915 |
Filed: |
October 31, 2016 |
PCT Filed: |
October 31, 2016 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR2016/012369 |
371 Date: |
September 6, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62381581 |
Aug 31, 2016 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01Q 1/002 20130101;
H01Q 9/0407 20130101; H01Q 25/00 20130101; H01Q 1/2283 20130101;
H01Q 1/325 20130101; H01Q 1/3275 20130101; H01Q 21/29 20130101;
H01Q 21/065 20130101; H01Q 21/205 20130101; H01Q 1/521 20130101;
H01Q 25/04 20130101; H01Q 21/28 20130101; H04B 7/0617 20130101;
H04B 7/0404 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04B 7/0404 20060101
H04B007/0404; H01Q 1/32 20060101 H01Q001/32; H01Q 21/29 20060101
H01Q021/29 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 9, 2016 |
KR |
10-2016-0116684 |
Claims
1. An antenna system loaded in a vehicle, the system comprising: a
first antenna system to perform beamforming by a plurality of first
communication antenna elements disposed to transmit and receive a
first signal according to a first communication system in a first
frequency band; and a second antenna system to perform a Multi
Input Multi Output (MIMO) by a plurality of second communication
antenna elements disposed to transmit and receive a second signal
according to a second communication in a second frequency band
lower than the first frequency band, wherein the first
communication system and the second communication system are a
Fifth-Generation (5G) communication system and a Long-Term
Evolution (LTE) communication system, respectively, wherein the
first antenna system and the second antenna system are disposed on
side surfaces of a hexahedron made of a dielectric material,
wherein the first antenna system includes first to fourth array
antennas disposed on first to fourth side surfaces of the
hexahedron each having a predetermined inclination angle, and
wherein the second antenna system includes first to fourth MIMO
antennas disposed between the first to fourth array antennas, and
the first to fourth MIMO antennas are disposed on two side
surfaces.
2. (canceled)
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna system and the
second antenna system are disposed on a bottom surface of the
hexahedron made of the dielectric material, wherein the first
antenna system is disposed on the bottom surface of the hexahedron,
wherein the second antenna system includes the first to fourth MIMO
antennas disposed on the side surfaces of the hexahedron, and
wherein the first antenna system includes the one array antenna or
the first through fourth array antennas.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first to fourth array
antennas perform beamforming on first to fourth areas defined by
dividing 360 degrees in an azimuth direction, respectively, and the
first to fourth areas partially overlap, wherein coverages of the
first to fourth array antennas for the first to fourth areas are 90
degrees or more, wherein at least one of the first to fourth array
antennas is used in a diversity mode to perform first beamforming
when a signal or signal-to-interference ratio received from the
first communication system is a threshold value or more, wherein
the first to fourth array antennas are combined to perform second
beamforming finer than the first beamforming when the received
signal or signal-to-interference ratio is below the threshold value
on the overlapped partial area, and wherein the second beamforming
is performed using two array antennas covering the overlapped
partial area of the first to fourth areas.
5. (canceled)
6. The system of claim 3, wherein the first to fourth array
antennas are two-dimensional array antennas, each of the antenna
elements is connected to a corresponding phase shifter, and a null
pattern of a beam is generated in an interference signal direction
while beamforming is performed in a desired direction of an azimuth
direction and an elevation direction according to a change of phase
values by the phase shifter
7. (canceled)
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication system
and the second communication system maintain dual connectivity and
are configured such that the second signal is received from the
second communication system when the first signal is not received
from the first communication system.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna system and the
second antenna system are disposed on the side surfaces or the
bottom surface of the hexahedron made of the dielectric material,
wherein an integrated module is disposed on the rear of the bottom
surface of the hexahedron, and wherein the integrated module
comprises: a top cover corresponding to the bottom surface of the
hexahedron; a bottom cover coupled to the top cover and
corresponding to a bottom surface of the integrated module; a modem
card disposed on a top surface of an inner space formed by coupling
the top cover and the bottom cover, and having a radio frequency
(RF) integrated circuit of the first communication system; and a
main board disposed on a bottom surface of the inner space.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna system and the
second antenna system are disposed on the side surfaces or the
bottom surface of the hexahedron made of the dielectric material,
and wherein a Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS) antenna
and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna are further
disposed on the bottom surface of the hexahedron.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein the hexahedral structure is
disposed on a roof of the vehicle or within a roof structure of the
vehicle, and at least a portion of the roof structure is realized
as a non-metallic portion.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein the modem card includes a modem
processor, a Bluetooth (BT)/Wi-Fi module, and a C2X module, wherein
the main board includes an application processor, an Ethernet
switch, a power management unit, and a vehicle network connector,
wherein the antenna system is provided with a 2.times.2 LTE MIMO
input port and a C2X antenna port as wireless interfaces and
provided with an Ethernet interface, an emergency call button
interface, an airbag interface, an emergency call speaker interface
and a microphone interface as wired interfaces.
13. The system of claim 10, wherein the SDARS antenna and the GNSS
antenna include a patch antenna and a ground plane implemented as
metal plates respectively on front and rear surfaces of a
dielectric made of a ceramic material, and wherein the dielectric
made of the ceramic material has a front surface and side surfaces
covered with an outer case.
14. An antenna system loaded in a vehicle, the system comprising: a
first antenna system to transmit and receive a first signal
according to a first communication system in a first frequency
band; a second antenna system to transmit and receive a second
signal according to a second communication system in a second
frequency band lower than the first frequency band; and a processor
to control the second signal to be received from the second
communication system when the first signal is not received from the
first communication system, wherein the first communication system
and the second communication system are a Fifth-Generation (5G)
communication system and a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication
system, respectively, wherein the first antenna system and the
second antenna system are disposed on side surfaces of a hexahedron
made of a dielectric material, wherein the first antenna system
includes first to fourth array antennas disposed on first to fourth
side surfaces of the hexahedron each having a predetermined
inclination angle, and wherein the second antenna system includes
first to fourth MIMO antennas disposed between the first to fourth
array antennas, and the first to fourth MIMO antennas is disposed
on two side surfaces.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first communication system
and the second communication system maintain dual connectivity
there between.
16. (canceled)
17. The system of claim 14, wherein the first antenna system and
the second antenna system are disposed on the side surfaces of the
hexahedron made of the dielectric material, and wherein the first
antenna system is disposed on the bottom surface of the hexahedron,
wherein the second antenna system includes the first to fourth MIMO
antennas disposed on the side surfaces of the hexahedron, and
wherein the first antenna system includes one array antenna or the
first through fourth array antennas.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first to
fourth array antennas is used in a diversity mode to perform first
beamforming when a signal or signal-to-interference ratio received
from the first communication system is a threshold value or more,
and wherein the first to fourth array antennas are combined to
perform second beamforming finer than the first beamforming when
the received signal or signal-to-interference ratio is below the
threshold value.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna system loaded in
a vehicle, and more particularly, to an antenna system mounted in a
vehicle for providing communication services through transmission
and reception of a plurality of communication signals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Terminals may be divided into mobile/portable devices and
stationary devices according to mobility. Also, the mobile
terminals may be classified into handheld types and vehicle mount
types according to whether or not a user can directly carry.
[0003] Functions of mobile terminals have been diversified.
Examples of such functions include data and voice communications,
capturing images and video via a camera, recording audio, playing
music files via a speaker system, and displaying images and video
on a display unit. Some mobile terminals include additional
functionality which supports electronic game playing, while other
terminals are configured as multimedia players. Specifically, in
recent time, mobile terminals can receive broadcast and multicast
signals to allow viewing of video or television programs
[0004] As it becomes multifunctional, a mobile terminal can be
allowed to capture still images or moving images, play music or
video files, play games, receive broadcast and the like, so as to
be implemented as an integrated multimedia player.
[0005] Efforts are ongoing to support and increase the
functionality of mobile terminals. Such efforts include software
and hardware improvements, as well as changes and improvements in
the structural components.
[0006] In recent years, there is an increasing need to provide
communication services and multimedia services by mounting such
mobile terminals in vehicles. Meanwhile, in relation to
communication services, there is a need for a fifth-generation (5G)
communication service, which is a next generation communication
service, as well as existing communication services such as LTE
(Long Term Evolution) and the like.
[0007] In this regard, discussion on the specification of the 5G
communication service has not been completed, and an antenna system
and a communication system for realizing such a service in a
vehicle have not been discussed. In addition, a detailed method for
implementing a flat antenna in relation to a method of loading a
vehicle antenna system in the vehicle has not been presented.
[0008] In addition, the vehicle antenna system needs to support not
only the 5G communication system but also a communication service
such as LTE, which is an existing communication service. In this
regard, the LTE supports a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) mode for
improving transmission speed. However, in order to support the MIMO
mode, isolation between LTE antennas is important. However, there
is a problem that a method of ensuring sufficient isolation between
the LTE antennas while maintaining sizes mountable in the vehicle
has not been disclosed in detail.
[0009] On the other hand, the vehicle antenna system requires a
capability of receiving satellite signals, and a patch antenna in
which a silver paste is attached to a ceramic material is usually
used as a satellite signal receiving antenna. However, this patch
antenna has a problem that the ceramic substrate may be damaged by
an external impact and an antenna performance may be deteriorated
accordingly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] One aspect of the present invention is to provide a flat
vehicle antenna capable of providing next generation communication
services as well as existing mobile communication services, and a
control method thereof.
[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide
communication services using a plurality of antennas, through which
a plurality of communication services is provided, by effectively
arranging the plurality of antennas on a vehicle antenna system
structure.
[0012] An antenna system loaded in a vehicle according to the
present invention includes a first antenna system to perform
beamforming by a plurality of first communication antenna elements
disposed to transmit and receive a first signal according to a
first communication system, and a second antenna system to perform
a Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) by a plurality of second
communication antenna elements disposed to transmit and receive a
second signal according to a second communication system, whereby a
plurality of communication services can be provided through a flat
vehicle antenna having beamforming array antennas capable of
providing next generation communication services and MIMO antennas
capable of providing existing mobile communication services.
[0013] According to one embodiment, the first antenna system and
the second antenna system may be disposed on a bottom surface of
the hexahedron made of the dielectric material. The first antenna
system may include first to fourth array antennas disposed on four
side surfaces of the hexahedron each having a predetermined
inclination angle, and the second antenna system may include first
to fourth MIMO antennas disposed between the first to fourth array
antennas.
[0014] According to one embodiment, the first antenna system and
the second antenna system may be disposed on side surfaces or a
bottom surface of the hexahedron made of the dielectric material.
The first antenna system may be disposed on the bottom surface of
the hexahedron and the second antenna system may include the first
to fourth MIMO antennas disposed on the side surfaces of the
hexahedron. The first antenna system may include one array antenna
or the first to fourth array antennas.
[0015] According to one embodiment, the first to fourth array
antennas may perform beamforming on first to fourth areas defined
by dividing 360 degrees in an azimuth direction, respectively, and
the first to fourth areas may partially overlap.
[0016] According to one embodiment, at least one of the first to
fourth array antennas may be used in a diversity mode to perform
first beamforming when a signal or signal-to-interference ratio
received from the first communication system is a threshold value
or more. On the other hand, the first to fourth array antennas may
be combined to perform second beamforming finer than the first
beamforming when the received signal or signal-to-interference
ratio is below the threshold value.
[0017] According to one embodiment, the first to fourth array
antennas may be two-dimensional array antennas, and each of the
antenna elements may be connected to a corresponding phase shifter.
A null pattern of a beam may be generated in an interference signal
direction while beamforming is performed in a desired direction of
an azimuth direction and an elevation direction according to a
change of phase values by the phase shifter.
[0018] According to one embodiment, at least two of the first to
fourth array antennas may be combined to perform the finer second
beamforming for the overlapped partial area of the first to fourth
areas.
[0019] According to one embodiment, the first communication system
and the second communication system may maintain dual connectivity
therebetween. At this time, the second signal may be received from
the second communication system when the first signal is not
received from the first communication system.
[0020] According to one embodiment, the first antenna system and
the second antenna system may be disposed on the side surfaces or
the bottom surface of the hexahedron formed of the dielectric
material, and an integrated module may be disposed on the rear of
the bottom surface of the hexahedron. At this time, the integrated
module may include a top cover corresponding to the bottom surface
of the hexahedron, a bottom cover coupled to the top cover and
corresponding to a bottom surface of the integrated module, a modem
card disposed on a top surface of an inner space formed by coupling
the top cover and the bottom cover, and having a radio frequency
(RF) integrated circuit of the first communication system, and a
main board disposed on a bottom surface of the inner space.
[0021] According to one embodiment, the first antenna system and
the second antenna system may be a Fifth-Generation (5G)
communication system and a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication
system. At this time, the first antenna system and the second
antenna system may be disposed on the side surfaces or the bottom
surface of the hexahedron made of the dielectric material. In
addition, a Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS) antenna
and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna may further
be disposed on the bottom surface of the hexahedron.
[0022] According to one embodiment, a structure formed in the
hexahedral shape may be disposed on a roof of the vehicle.
Alternatively, the hexahedral structure may be disposed in a roof
structure of the vehicle, and at least a portion of the roof
structure may be implemented as a non-metal portion.
[0023] According to one embodiment, the modem card may include a
modem processor, a Bluetooth (BT)/Wi-Fi module, and a C2X module.
In addition, the main board may include an application processor,
an Ethernet switch, a power management unit, and a vehicle network
connector. The antenna system may be provided with a 2.times.2 LTE
MIMO input port and a C2X antenna port as wireless interfaces and
provided with at least one of an Ethernet interface, an emergency
call button interface, an airbag interface, an emergency call
speaker interface and a microphone interface as a wired
interface.
[0024] According to one embodiment, the SDARS antenna and the GNSS
antenna may include a patch antenna and a ground plane implemented
as metal plates respectively on front and rear surfaces of a
dielectric made of a ceramic material. At this time, the dielectric
made of the ceramic material may have a front surface and side
surfaces covered with an outer case.
[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, an
antenna system loaded in a vehicle may include a first antenna
system to transmit and receive a first signal according to a first
communication system, a second antenna system to transmit and
receive a second signal according to a second communication system,
and a processor to control the second signal to be received from
the second communication system when the first signal is not
received from the first communication system.
[0026] According to an embodiment, the first communication system
and the second communication system may maintain dual connectivity
therebetween.
[0027] According to one embodiment, the first antenna system and
the second antenna system may be disposed on side surfaces or a
bottom surface of the hexahedron made of the dielectric material.
In this case, the first antenna system may include first to fourth
array antennas disposed on four side surfaces of the hexahedron
each having a predetermined inclination angle. In the second
antenna system, first to fourth MIMO antennas may be disposed
between the first to fourth array antennas.
[0028] According to one embodiment, the first antenna system and
the second antenna system may be disposed on the side surfaces or
the bottom surface of the hexahedron made of the dielectric
material. At this time, the first antenna system may be disposed on
the bottom surface of the hexahedron. In the second antenna system,
the first to fourth MIMO antennas may be disposed on the side
surfaces of the hexahedron. Meanwhile, the first antenna system may
include one array antenna or may include the first through fourth
array antennas.
[0029] According to one embodiment, at least one of the first to
fourth array antennas may be used in a diversity mode to perform
first beamforming when a signal or signal-to-interference ratio
received from the first communication system is a threshold value
or more. On the other hand, the first to fourth array antennas may
be combined to perform second beamforming finer than the first
beamforming when the received signal or signal-to-interference
ratio is below the threshold value.
[0030] Hereinafter, effects of an antenna system loaded in a
vehicle and a method of controlling the same according to the
present invention will be described.
[0031] According to the present invention, a plurality of
communication services can be provided through a flat vehicle
antenna having beamforming array antennas capable of providing next
generation communication services and MIMO antennas capable of
providing existing mobile communication services.
[0032] Further, according to the present invention, different types
of antennas can be disposed on side surfaces or a bottom surface of
a dielectric structure in various ways, and a plurality of
communication services can be provided by using those antennas.
[0033] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description. It should
be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific
examples, such as the preferred embodiment of the invention, are
given by way of illustration only, since various changes and
modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be
apparent to those skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a structure for mounting an
antenna system in a vehicle in a mobile terminal having the antenna
system loaded in the vehicle.
[0035] FIG. 2 is a structural view illustrating an antenna system
loaded in a vehicle including a first antenna system and a second
antenna system according to the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 3 is a conceptual view illustrating an antenna system
(a vehicle antenna system) loaded in a vehicle including a first
antenna system and a second antenna system according to the present
invention.
[0037] FIG. 4 is a conceptual view illustrating an antenna system
including a first antenna system and a second antenna system
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0038] FIG. 5 is a conceptual view illustrating an antenna system
including a first antenna system and a second antenna system
according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
[0039] FIG. 6 is view illustrating a detailed configuration of an
antenna system and an integrated configuration with an automotive
trial platform according to the present invention.
[0040] FIG. 7 is a conceptual view related to a method for testing
isolation between a plurality of antennas in relation to the second
antenna system according to the present invention.
[0041] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a configuration of a
ceramic-material antenna, such as an SDARS antenna and a GNSS
antenna, embodied on a ceramic substrate according to the present
invention.
[0042] FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a configuration of a
ceramic-material antenna, such as an SDARS antenna and a GNSS
antenna, embodied on a ceramic substrate according to the present
invention.
[0043] FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a Voltage Standing Wave Ratio
(VSWR) according to frequencies before and after a breakage of a
ceramic substrate, with respect to a silver paste type ceramic
antenna.
[0044] FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a VSWR according to
frequencies before and after a breakage of a ceramic substrate,
with respect to a metal plate type ceramic antenna having an outer
case.
[0045] FIG. 12 is a conceptual view of a modular antenna system
according to the present invention.
[0046] FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a module configuration of a
modular antenna system according to the present invention.
[0047] FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a detailed configuration of
each component of an antenna system and interfaces between the
components according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0048] Description will now be given in detail according to
exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, with reference to the
accompanying drawings. For the sake of brief description with
reference to the drawings, the same or equivalent components may be
provided with the same or similar reference numbers, and
description thereof will not be repeated. In general, a suffix such
as "module" and "unit" may be used to refer to elements or
components. Use of such a suffix herein is merely intended to
facilitate description of the specification, and the suffix itself
is not intended to give any special meaning or function. In
describing the present disclosure, if a detailed explanation for a
related known function or construction is considered to
unnecessarily divert the gist of the present disclosure, such
explanation has been omitted but would be understood by those
skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings are used to help
easily understand the technical idea of the present disclosure and
it should be understood that the idea of the present disclosure is
not limited by the accompanying drawings. The idea of the present
disclosure should be construed to extend to any alterations,
equivalents and substitutes besides the accompanying drawings.
[0049] It will be understood that although the terms first, second,
etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these
elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are
generally only used to distinguish one element from another.
[0050] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as
being "connected with" another element, the element can be
connected with the another element or intervening elements may also
be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being
"directly connected with" another element, there are no intervening
elements present.
[0051] A singular representation may include a plural
representation unless it represents a definitely different meaning
from the context.
[0052] Terms such as "include" or "has" are used herein and should
be understood that they are intended to indicate an existence of
several components, functions or steps, disclosed in the
specification, and it is also understood that greater or fewer
components, functions, or steps may likewise be utilized.
[0053] The mobile terminal described in this specification may
include a mobile terminal mounted in a vehicle. Examples of the
mobile terminal disclosed herein may include cellular phones, smart
phones, laptop computers, digital broadcast terminals, personal
digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs),
navigators, slate PCs, tablet PCs, ultra books, wearable devices
(for example, smart watches, smart glasses, head mounted displays
(HMDs), etc.), and the like, which can be used in the vehicle if
necessary.
[0054] On the other hand, the mobile terminal disclosed in this
specification mainly refers to a vehicle terminal implemented by an
antenna system mounted in a vehicle, but may also include a mobile
terminal (electronic device) located inside a vehicle or possessed
by a user aboard the vehicle.
[0055] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a structure for mounting an
antenna system in a vehicle in a mobile terminal having such an
antenna system loaded in the vehicle. In this regard, (a) of FIG. 1
shows a configuration in which an antenna system 1000 is loaded on
a roof of the vehicle. On the other hand, (b) of FIG. 1 shows a
structure in which the antenna system 1000 is loaded in the roof of
the vehicle.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 1, in order to improve appearance of the
vehicle and to maintain a telematics performance at the time of
collision, an existing shark fin antenna is desired to be replaced
with a flat antenna having a non-protruding shape. In addition, the
present invention proposes an integrated antenna of an LTE antenna
and a 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) antenna considering fifth
generation (5G) communication after 2020, while providing the
existing mobile communication service (e.g., LTE). In this regard,
the LTE antenna may be an LTE 4.times.4 MIMO (Multi-Input
Multi-Output) antenna. In addition, the present invention proposes
a package type antenna for enhancing durability of a patch antenna
mounted inside from an impact.
[0057] Referring to (a) of FIG. 1, the antenna system 1000 is
configured as a hexahedral structure and is disposed on a roof of
the vehicle. In (a) of FIG. 1, a radome 2000a for protecting the
antenna system 1000 from an external environment and external
shocks while the vehicle travels may cover the antenna system 1000.
The radome 2000a may be made of a dielectric material through which
radio signals are transmitted/received between the antenna system
1000 and a base station.
[0058] Referring to (b) of FIG. 1, the antenna system 1000 may be
disposed within a roof structure of the vehicle, and at least part
of the roof structure may be made of a non-metallic material. At
this time, the at least part of the roof structure 2000b of the
vehicle may be realized by a non-metallic material, and may be made
of a dielectric material through which radio signals are
transmitted/received between the antenna system 1000 and the base
station.
[0059] In this regard, FIG. 2 is a structural view illustrating an
antenna system loaded in a vehicle including a first antenna system
and a second antenna system according to the present invention.
Meanwhile, FIG. 3 is a conceptual view illustrating the antenna
system (a vehicle antenna system) loaded in the vehicle including
the first antenna system and the second antenna system according to
the present invention.
[0060] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the antenna system 1000 includes
a first antenna system 100 and a second antenna system 200. The
first antenna system 100 and the second antenna system 200 may be a
fifth-generation (5G) communication system and an LTE communication
system, respectively. The antenna system 1000 may further include a
Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS) antenna 300, a Global
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna 400, and a
WiFi/Bluetooth antenna 500.
[0061] That is, the present invention proposes a vehicle antenna
capable of mounting all of LTE 4.times.4 MIMO, WiFi 2.5G/5 GHz,
V2X, GNSS, SDARS, and 5G mmWave antennas. In this regard, referring
to FIG. 1, a vehicle antenna system of a size suitable to be
mounted on the roof of the vehicle which is about 100 mm.times.100
mm.times.16 mm in size is proposed. The vehicle antenna system is
configured by arranging 1) a 5G mmWave beamforming and
beam-switching antenna at 28 Ghz, 2) V2X (C2X 5.9 GHz IEEE802.11p),
WiFi 2.4 GHz/5 GHz and Bluetooth 2.4 GHz antennas, 3) an LTE
4.times.4 MIMO antenna, 4) GNSS and SDARS antennas. Therefore, the
vehicle antenna system provides a flat antenna in which
performances related to 1) to 4) are realized.
[0062] In this regard, (a) of FIG. 2 corresponds to a perspective
view of the antenna system 1000, and (b) of FIG. 2 corresponds to
an exploded view of the antenna system 1000.
[0063] In the first antenna system 100, a plurality of first
communication antenna elements are arranged to transmit and receive
a first signal according to a first communication system so as to
perform beamforming. At this time, the first communication antenna
element is an antenna operating at a frequency band for 5G
communication. On the other hand, the frequency band of the 5G
communication system has not been specifically defined yet, but it
may include a 20 GHz band, a 30 GHz band, or a 60 GHz band. At this
time, the 20 GHz band, the 30 GHz band, or the 60 GHz frequency
band has a constant bandwidth at a center frequency in the vicinity
of 20 GHz, 30 GHz, or 60 GHz. High-speed communication can be
carried out by using a wide bandwidth of such a high frequency band
and this communication is also called millimeter wave (mmWave)
communication. Meanwhile, the frequency band of the 5G
communication system may include an arbitrary frequency band below
the 20 GHz frequency band.
[0064] On the other hand, as illustrated in (a) and (b) of FIG. 2,
each of array antennas of the first antenna system 100 is disposed
on a side surface of a hexahedron made of a dielectric. That is,
the first antenna system 100 is preferably formed in a shape that
first to fourth array antennas are disposed on four side surfaces
of the hexahedron each having a predetermined inclination angle and
a top surface of the hexahedron is opened. Meanwhile, a
predetermined number of antenna elements are arranged in horizontal
and vertical directions of the first to fourth array antennas. For
example, each of the first through fourth array antennas may be in
the form of 4.times.4.
[0065] The first to fourth array antennas 100 may perform
beamforming with respect to first to fourth areas, respectively,
which are defined by dividing 360 degrees in an azimuth direction.
That is, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the first to fourth array
antennas 100 may cover the first to fourth areas each corresponding
to 90 degrees. Meanwhile, when the coverage of each of the first to
fourth array antennas 100 is 90 degrees or more, some of the first
to fourth areas may overlap. For example, if the coverages are 120
degrees, 150 degrees, and 180 degrees, the first area and the
second and fourth areas which are adjacent to the first area may
partially overlap each other, for example, by 30 degrees, 60
degrees, and 90 degrees.
[0066] Meanwhile, the first to fourth array antennas 100 may
perform beamforming by subdividing an azimuth area corresponding to
90 degrees using a phase difference between the antenna elements
arranged in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, the first to
fourth array antennas 100 may perform beamforming by subdividing an
elevation area using a phase difference between the antenna
elements arranged in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the
first to fourth array antennas 100 may perform beamforming by
subdividing the azimuth area and the elevation area using a phase
difference between the antenna elements in the horizontal and
vertical directions.
[0067] Meanwhile, with regard to the beamforming method, at least
two of the first to fourth array antennas may be combined with each
other to perform fine beamforming as second beamforming. At this
time, the second beamforming may be performed on the overlapped
partial area of the first to fourth areas.
[0068] Also, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the first to fourth array
antennas may be disposed on a plane of the hexahedron. For example,
the first to fourth array antennas may be arranged on a bottom
surface of the hexahedron with other antennas. At this time, the
first to fourth array antennas are required to perform beamforming
(beam-scanning) on an area of at least 90 degrees in the azimuth
direction. In addition, the first to fourth array antennas must
perform beamforming on an area of a predetermined angle to allow
communication with a base station or another terminal in the
elevation direction. In this regard, the first to fourth array
antennas may perform beamforming based on an angle that is tilted
by a predetermined angle, other than a boresight direction in the
elevation direction.
[0069] Meanwhile, the beamforming is performed for communication
with a base station of a 5G communication system or Device to
Device (D2D) communication with another vehicle. At this time, the
D2D communication may include D2D communication between the vehicle
and another vehicle, as well as D2D communication between the
vehicle and another infra structure or between the vehicle and
another mobile communication terminal.
[0070] Even in the case of the D2D communication or the
communication with the base station, if a signal level is
sufficient, it is preferable not to perform beamforming in order to
prevent an increase of a search time and disconnection of a link.
If the beamforming is not performed, one or some of the antenna
elements may be used. In this case, if only one of the antenna
elements of the first to fourth array antennas 100 is used, the one
antenna element may be an omni-directional antenna having a uniform
radiation characteristic in a predetermined direction. In this
case, when only some of the antenna elements of the first to fourth
array antennas 100 are used, a coarse beam having a beam width
wider than that when all of the antenna elements are used may be
formed.
[0071] As described above, the first to fourth array antennas of
the first antenna system 100 are generally configured such that
communication is performed through one array antenna when a base
station is decided. However, the first antenna system 100 may
operate in a diversity mode or a multiple input multiple output
(MIMO) mode using a plurality of array antennas as needed.
[0072] That is, when a signal or signal-to-interference ratio
received from the first communication system 100 is a threshold
value or more, the first communication system 100 may perform first
beamforming using at least one of the first to fourth array
antennas in the diversity mode or the MIMO mode. In addition, if
the received signal or signal-to-interference ratio is below the
threshold value, the first communication system 100 may perform
second beamforming, which is finer than the first beamforming, by
combining the first to fourth array antennas.
[0073] The first antenna system 200 performs MIMO by arranging a
plurality of second communication antenna elements which are
configured to transmit and receive a second signal according to the
second communication system. At this time, the second communication
antenna element is an antenna operating in a frequency band (WCDMA
or LTE communication frequency band) for 2G/3G/4G communication. In
this regard, in the second communication system, both MIMO and
beamforming are supported in the base station, but only MIMO is
supported in the terminal. Since the second communication system
operates in a lower frequency band than the first communication
system, the second antenna system 200 corresponding to the terminal
does not need to support beamforming. Accordingly, four antenna
elements of the second antenna system 200 may be referred to as
first to fourth MIMO antennas.
[0074] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second
antenna system 200 is configured such that the first to fourth MIMO
antennas are disposed on a hexahedron made of a dielectric. In this
case, the first to fourth MIMO antennas are preferably spaced apart
from one another in order to maintain isolation between them.
Accordingly, in the second antenna system 200, the first to fourth
MIMO antennas may be disposed between the first to fourth array
antennas of the first antenna system 100.
[0075] On the other hand, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the
first antenna system 100 and the second antenna system 200 may be
disposed on side surfaces or a bottom surface of a dielectric
hexahedron, and an SDARS antenna 300 and a GNSS antenna 400 may be
additionally disposed on the bottom surface of the hexahedron. In
addition, a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth (BT) antenna 500 may be further
disposed on the bottom surface of the hexahedron.
[0076] This manner in which the first to fourth array antennas and
the first to fourth MIMO antennas are disposed on the side surfaces
of the hexahedron may be referred to as a first method (see FIG.
2). On the other hand, the manner in which the first to fourth
array antennas are arranged on the plane of the hexahedron may be
referred to as a second method (see FIG. 3). Also, the manner in
which one array antenna of the first antenna system is disposed on
the plane of the hexahedron may be referred to as a third method
(see FIG. 4). Also, the manner in which only one antenna element of
the first antenna system is disposed on the plane of the hexahedron
may be referred to as a third method (see FIG. 5).
[0077] The foregoing description has been given of the method in
which the first to fourth array antennas of the first antenna
system 100 are disposed on the side surfaces or the plane of the
hexahedral structure. Hereinafter, description will be given of a
method in which the first antenna system 100 including one array
antenna or one antenna element is disposed.
[0078] In this regard, FIG. 4 is a conceptual view of an antenna
system including a first antenna system and a second antenna system
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0079] Meanwhile, the first antenna system 100 and the second
antenna system 200 are disposed on side surfaces or a bottom
surface of a hexahedron made of a dielectric material. In this
instance, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the first antenna system 100
may be disposed on the bottom surface of the hexahedron and the
second antenna system 200 may include first to fourth MIMO antennas
disposed on the side surfaces of the hexahedron. That is, the
antenna system illustrated in FIG. 4 corresponds to the third
method described above.
[0080] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the first to
fourth MIMO antennas may be disposed on different planes of the
hexahedron. In addition, each of the first to fourth MIMO antennas
may be disposed on the hexahedron in an arbitrary manner for
optimizing isolation. For example, each of the first to fourth MIMO
antennas may be disposed only on one plane of the hexahedron.
[0081] In relation to FIG. 4, further description of the second
antenna system 200, the SDARS antenna 300, the GNSS antenna 400,
and the Wi-Fi/BT antenna 500 is replaced with the description given
with reference to FIGS. 2 to 3.
[0082] Meanwhile, the first antenna system 100 includes one array
antenna and the array antenna includes a plurality of antenna
elements. The array antenna may be in the form of 4.times.4. In
this instance, unlike FIGS. 2 and 3, the first antenna system 100
should be configured to perform beamforming (beam-scanning) on an
area of 180 degrees. That is, since the first to fourth array
antennas are disposed in the four sections of the hexahedron in
FIGS. 2 and 3, one of the first to fourth array antennas may
perform beam-scanning on an area of at least 90 degrees in the
azimuth direction. On the other hand, the one array antenna of FIG.
4 should perform beam-scanning on an area of 180 degrees in the
horizontal and vertical directions in which the antenna elements
are arranged.
[0083] Meanwhile, FIG. 5 is a conceptual view of an antenna system
including a first antenna system and a second antenna system
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0084] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the first antenna system 100
includes one antenna element. That is, the first antenna system 100
radiates a radio signal in all directions (360 degrees) using the
one antenna element (radiating element). That is, the antenna
system illustrated in FIG. 5 corresponds to the fourth method
described above.
[0085] Therefore, since the first antenna system 100 does not
perform beamforming (beam-scanning), it does not require a separate
phase shifter. The method in which the beamforming is not performed
is to prevent an increase of a search time and a disconnection of a
link when a received signal level is sufficient.
[0086] On the other hand, in relation to FIGS. 2 to 4, the antenna
system 1000 including the first and second antenna systems 100 and
200 is connected to an automotive trial platform. In this regard,
FIG. 6 illustrates a detailed configuration of an antenna system
according to the present invention and an integrated configuration
with an automotive trial platform.
[0087] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the antenna system 1000 includes
first and second antenna systems 100 and 200, each of which is
connected to an automotive trial platform. With respect to such an
antenna system 1000, Table 1 provides a specification according to
one example of the antenna system 1000 related to the present
invention. In this regard, the Specification is illustrative and
may be variously modified according to the 5G standard in the
future.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Item Contents RF band 26.5-29.5 GHz RF
bandwidth 100 to 800 MHz Maximum data rate 1.0-7.0 Gbps Access
technology TDD MIMO Capability 2 .times. 2, 4 .times. 4, (8 .times.
8) Modulation and coding scheme 64 QAM, LDPC Carrier Aggregation 5
CA Waveform OFDM
[0088] Meanwhile, a link connection state between the first and
second antenna systems 100 and 200 will be described below.
According to one embodiment, the first communication system 100 and
the second communication system 200 may be configured to maintain a
dual connectivity state. At this time, the second signal may be
received from the second communication system 200 when the first
signal is not received from the first communication system 100.
That is, since the second communication system 200 always maintains
the connectivity state even when the link connection with the base
station is released in the first communication system 100, the
second signal may be received from the second communication system
200.
[0089] According to another embodiment, when the link connection
through the first communication system 100 is released, it is also
possible to activate a fall back mode in which the connection with
the second communication system 200 is initiated.
[0090] The first antenna system 100 may include a patch antenna
110, a power amplifier 120, a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 130, and a
phase shifter 140. The first antenna system 100 may be configured
to operate in a frequency band of 20, 30, 60 GHz and a frequency
band below 20 GHz, instead of operating in the frequency band of 28
GHz.
[0091] The patch antenna 110, as illustrated in FIG. 2, may be
disposed on a dielectric substrate that is attachable on a
dielectric. For example, the patch antenna 110 may be implemented
in the form of a microstrip in which a radiating element and a
ground plane are disposed on a top surface and a bottom surface of
the dielectric substrate, respectively. The patch antenna 110 may
be an array antenna as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, or may be a
single antenna element as needed, as illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0092] In the case of being configured as the array antenna of the
first antenna system 100, phase values applied to the respective
elements of the array antenna are controlled through the phase
shifter 140 to perform beamforming (beam-scanning). For example,
the beamforming may be performed within a specific angular range in
an azimuth direction and an elevation direction. In this regard,
the first antenna system may generate a null pattern of a beam in
an interference signal direction while performing beamforming in a
desired direction of the azimuth and elevation directions according
to the change of the phase values by the phase shifter 140.
[0093] Meanwhile, the patch antenna 110 may operate as a single
antenna element by applying power only to one of the plurality of
antenna elements of the array antenna. With regard to this,
referring to FIG. 4, if power is applied to only one of the array
antennas (4.times.4 array antennas) of the first antenna system
100, the patch antenna 110 may operate like a single antenna
element of the first antenna system 100 as illustrated in FIG.
5.
[0094] That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the configuration
of the array antenna and the single antenna element can be variable
by power on/off and a supportable circuit configuration. Therefore,
when the signal level (or signal-to-interference ratio) is
sufficient by virtue of a sufficiently close distance with the base
station or another communication target device, the patch antenna
110 is variably configured as a single antenna element. On the
other hand, when the signal level (or signal-to-interference ratio)
is not sufficient, the patch antenna 110 is variably configured as
an array antenna.
[0095] The patch antenna 110 may operate simultaneously as a
transmission antenna for radiating a transmission signal from the
power amplifier 110 into a free space and a reception antenna for
transmitting a reception signal from the free space to the
low-noise amplifier 120. Accordingly, the patch antenna 110 is
configured to operate in both a transmission frequency band and a
reception frequency band.
[0096] The power amplifier 120 amplifies a signal from a 5G RF IC
to a high-power signal and transmits the signal through the patch
antenna 100. In this regard, the power amplifier 120 may include a
frequency up-converter that receives an intermediate frequency (IF)
band signal from the 5G RF IC and converts the received signal into
a radio frequency (RF) band signal. At this time, the frequency
up-converter may convert an IF signal of a 10.6 GHz band into an RF
signal of a 28 GHz band, and is not limited to the above-mentioned
frequency band.
[0097] The low-noise amplifier 130 performs low-noise amplification
for a signal received through the patch antenna 110 and transmits
the amplified signal to the 5G RF IC. In this regard, the low-noise
amplifier 130 may include a frequency down-converter that
downwardly converts an RF signal of 28 GHz to an IF signal of a
10.6 GHz band.
[0098] On the other hand, when the patch antenna 110 is configured
as an array antenna, the phase shifter 140 is configured to apply a
different phase to each of the elements of the array antenna. In
this regard, the phase shifter 140 is configured to operate in both
the transmission frequency band and the reception frequency band.
The phase shifter 140 may adjust a phase in an analog or digital
manner. In this regard, the phase shifter 140 may receive a control
signal for a phase control from the 5G BB IC. Also, since an
insertion loss is caused due to an internal element, the phase
shifter 140 may control a phase of the signal received from the
low-noise amplifier 130. That is, the phase shifter 140 may perform
the phase control for the signal received in the first antenna
system 100 after the low-noise amplification for the signal through
the low-noise amplifier 130.
[0099] The second antenna system 120 may be configured to exchange
a radio signal with an existing mobile communication system
(2G/3G/4G) and include a plurality of antenna elements. The second
antenna system 120, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, may operate in
a MIMO mode to receive a plurality of stream signals from the base
station via the plurality of antenna elements. In this regard, the
plurality of antennas may be two or four antennas, and the second
antenna system 120 may support 2.times.2 and 4.times.4 MIMO modes,
respectively. In this case, the 2.times.2 and 4.times.4 MIMO modes
correspond to a case where one terminal (vehicle) receives two
stream signals and four stream signals transmitted from the base
station, respectively. As described above, a case where a single
terminal (vehicle) receives all of a plurality of streams from a
base station may be referred to as a single user (SU)-MIMO mode. On
the other hand, a case where a plurality of terminals (vehicles)
receives the plurality of streams, respectively, may be referred to
as a MU-MIMO mode. In order to support the SU-MIMO mode, the second
antenna system 120 must include a plurality of antenna
elements.
[0100] The automotive trial platform includes a 5G RF IC interfaced
with the first antenna system 100 and an LTE system interfaced with
the second antenna system 200. Meanwhile, the LTE system may
include a 3G system or a 2G system to support 3G WCDMA fallback. At
this time, the second antenna system 200 may be interfaced with the
LTE system through a coaxial cable.
[0101] In addition, the automotive trial platform may further
include a 5G BB (Base Band) IC, an USIM, and an LPDDR4. Here, the
5G BB IC exchanges baseband signals with the first and second
communication systems 100 and 200. Here, the 5G BB IC may be
interfaced with the 5G RF IC through a 2.times. MPHY interface and
may be interfaced with the LTE system through a PCIe 1.0 interface.
The USIM and the LPDDR4 correspond to a mobile communication user
identification module and a memory, respectively.
[0102] Meanwhile, since the second antenna system 200 operates in a
lower frequency band than the first antenna system 100, a wider
arrangement interval is required for an independent operation
between the antenna elements. This is because isolation between the
antenna elements is particularly important for operating the
antenna elements in the MIMO mode.
[0103] In this regard, FIG. 7 is a conceptual view illustrating a
method of testing isolation between a plurality of antennas with
respect to the second antenna system according to the present
invention. In this regard, the plurality of antennas is preferably
disposed as far as possible on the antenna system 1000, as
illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5. For this, as illustrated in FIG. 2,
the plurality of antennas may be disposed on the side surfaces of
the hexahedral dielectric structure. On the other hand, FIG. 7
illustrates in this regard that the plurality of antennas is
arranged on four corners on a plane. As described above, the
plurality of antennas may operate in the 2.times.2 MIMO mode or the
4.times.4 MIMO mode with the base station. Hereinafter, description
will be given under assumption that the plurality of antennas
operates in the 4.times.4 MIMO mode. Meanwhile, according to an
exemplary embodiment, frequencies of the 4.times.4 MIMO antenna may
be divided into bands and the antennas may be divided into a
primary antenna and diversity antennas, thereby testing isolation.
At this time, for optimizing the isolation, a spacing between a
feeding point and each antenna element, an antenna pattern, and the
like are optimally designed.
[0104] With regard to this, Table 2 shows the result of isolation
according to a size of the entire antenna system 100. Here, S21 and
S43 correspond to interference amounts to antennas 2 and 4 due to
inputs at antennas 1 and 3, respectively, and expressed in dB
scale, and isolation of 10 dB or more is realized. Meanwhile, 880
MHz, 1710 MHz and 2170 MHz correspond to frequencies of a lower
band (LB), a middle band (MB) and a high band (HB) in relation to
an LTE communication system.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Size 80 .times. 60 100 .times. 100 S21 &
S43 880 MHz -15.40 -15.54 1710 MHz -11.87 -22.26 2170 MHz -18.40
-30.70 S31 & S42 880 MHz 15.29 -13.94 1710 MHz -8.77 -12.41
2170 MHz -23.44 -24.33 S41 & S32 880 MHz -25.03 -21.47 960 MHz
-15.23 -26.10 1710 MHz -23.70 -22.44 2170 MHz -23.74 -37.06
[0105] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a configuration of a ceramic
antenna, such as an SDARS antenna and a GNSS antenna, embodied on a
ceramic substrate according to the present invention. Meanwhile,
FIG. 9 illustrates a configuration of a ceramic antenna, such as an
SDARS antenna and a GNSS antenna, which is implemented on a ceramic
substrate, according to the present invention.
[0106] Referring to FIG. 8, a ceramic antenna 300 includes a silver
paste 310 and a ceramic substrate 320. As illustrated in (a) of
FIG. 8, the ceramic antenna 300 is configured to implement a metal
pattern using the silver paste 310 on the ceramic substrate 320
made of a ceramic material. On the other hand, as illustrated in
(b) of FIG. 8, the silver paste 310 may be attached to each of
front and rear surfaces of the ceramic substrate 320 to implement
an antenna pattern (patch antenna) and a ground plane on the front
and rear surfaces, respectively.
[0107] With regard to this, referring to (a) of FIG. 9, a ceramic
antenna 300' is configured to implement a metal pattern by using a
metal plate 310' on a ceramic substrate 320' made of a ceramic
material. On the other hand, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 9, the
metal plate 310' may be attached to each of the front and rear
surfaces of the ceramic substrate 320' to implement an antenna
pattern (patch antenna) and a ground plane on the front and rear
surfaces, respectively. In addition, the ceramic antenna 300' may
be configured such that the front and side surfaces of the ceramic
substrate 320' on which the metal plate 310' is attached,
respectively, are covered with an outer case 330'. The outer case
330' may be realized by a plastic cover. At this time, the outer
case 330' is mounted on the ceramic antenna 300' to prevent
breakage of the ceramic antenna 300' due to an external impact, and
even if the ceramic material is broken, there is little change in
antenna performance.
[0108] In this regard, FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a Voltage
Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) according to frequencies before and
after breakage of the ceramic substrate, with respect to the silver
paste type ceramic antenna. At this time, average gains of the
antenna according to the frequencies before and after the breakage
of the ceramic substrate are as shown in Table 3.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Freq. Average Gain (dBi) Band [MHz] Before
ceramic breakage After ceramic breakage GPS 1575 -1.46 -5.58 1598
-1.71 -6.24 1602 -1.63 -5.68 1605 -1.57 -5.84 Average -1.59
-5.84
[0109] On the other hand, FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a VSWR
according to frequencies before and after breakage of the ceramic
substrate with respect to the metal plate type ceramic antenna
having the outer case. At this time, average gains of the antenna
according to the frequencies before and after the breakage of the
ceramic substrate are as shown in Table 4.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Freq. Average Gain (dBi) Band [MHz] Before
ceramic breakage After ceramic breakage GPS 1575 -1.43 -1.47 1598
-1.64 -1.59 1602 -1.59 -1.62 1605 -1.52 -1.54 Average -1.54
-1.56
[0110] Referring to FIG. (a) of FIG. 10, both of first and second
frequencies denoted by 1 and 2 have the VSWR of 2 or less. On the
other hand, referring to (b) of FIG. 10, the first and second
frequencies all have the VSWR of 6 or more.
[0111] On the other hand, in the case of the metal plate type
ceramic antenna having the outer case, it can be seen that there is
almost no change in the VSWR before and after the breakage of the
ceramic substrate. Referring to (a) and (b) of FIG. 11, both the
first and second frequencies have the VSWR of 2 or less before and
after the breakage of the ceramic substrate.
[0112] Hereinafter, a modular antenna system according to the
present invention will be described. In this regard, FIG. 12 is a
conceptual view of a modular antenna system according to the
present invention. The antenna system may include antenna elements
1000, a modem card 600, a subsystem connector 650, a main board 700
and a backup battery 750.
[0113] Meanwhile, FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a module
configuration of a modular antenna system according to the present
invention. Referring to FIG. 13, the antenna system includes
antenna elements 1000, a modem card 600, an antenna & modem PCB
600', a main board 700 and a main PCB 700', a backup battery 750
and a board-to-board connector (B-to-B connector) 800. In addition,
the antenna system may further include external antenna ports and
an Ethernet port capable of interfacing with external antennas and
an external Ethernet device.
[0114] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, with respect to modularity,
two PCB configurations may be employed. That is, the modem card 600
is connected to the antenna elements at its upper part and
connected to the main board 700 through the B-to-B connector 700 at
its lower part. With respect to the connection with the antenna
elements, a direct connection between the antenna elements and
millimeter wave components is allowed without an additional antenna
connector and an RF connector for 5G millimeter wave integrated
circuit (mmWave IC) interfaces. The direct connection between these
antenna elements and the millimeter wave components is enabled by a
single substrate or mutually-stacked substrates. At this time, the
connection of the antenna elements and the millimeter wave
components to the mutually-stacked substrates may be realized by
solder-type contact, via connection, or a coupling method.
[0115] Also, referring to FIG. 1, the antenna system may further
include the radome 2000 that protects the antenna system from
outside.
[0116] As illustrated in FIG. 13, the first and second antenna
systems including the other components except for the antenna
elements 1000 may be disposed below an area where the antenna
elements 1000 are disposed. That is, referring to FIGS. 2 and 13,
the first and second antenna systems including the antenna elements
1000 are disposed on the side surfaces or the bottom surface of the
hexahedron made of the dielectric material. In this instance, an
integrated module may be disposed on the rear of the bottom surface
of the hexahedron. The integrated module may include a top cover, a
bottom cover, the modem card 600, and the main board 700. The top
cover corresponds to a bottom surface of an area (for example, a
hexahedral structure) where the antenna elements 1000 are disposed,
and the bottom cover is coupled to the top cover and corresponds to
a bottom surface of the integrated module. The modem card 600 may
be disposed on a top surface of an inner space which is formed by
coupling the top cover and the bottom cover to each other, and may
include a radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit of the first
communication system. The main board 700 may be disposed on a
bottom surface of the inner space.
[0117] Referring to FIG. 12, the modem card 600 may include a modem
processor 610, a BTS 5.0/Wi-Fi module 620, and a C2X module
630.
[0118] The main board 700 may include an application processor 710,
an Ethernet switch 720, a power management unit 730, and a vehicle
network connector 740.
[0119] Also, although not illustrated in FIG. 12, the antenna
system may include a 2.times.2 LTE MIMO input port and a C2X
antenna port, which are wireless interfaces. The antenna system may
also include an Ethernet interface, an emergency call button
interface, an airbag interface, an emergency call speaker
interface, and a microphone interface, which are wired
interfaces.
[0120] Meanwhile, FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a detailed
configuration of each component of an antenna system and interfaces
between the components according to the present invention.
[0121] In this regard, an inner area indicated by a dashed line in
FIG. 14 includes antenna elements 1000, a modem card 600, antennas,
and a modem PCB 600'. The antenna system includes a first antenna
system 100 to transmit and receive a first signal according to a
first communication system, and a second antenna system 200 to
transmit and receive a second signal according to a second
communication system. Meanwhile, the modem disposed in the inner
area indicated by the dashed line or an AP disposed in an outer
area corresponds to a controller for controlling the first and
second antenna systems 100 and 200. The controller may be
configured to receive the second signal from the second
communication system when the first signal is not received from the
first communication system. At this time, the first communication
system 100 and the second communication system 200 may be
configured to maintain dual connectivity therebetween.
[0122] The antenna element of the first antenna system 100 may be
referred to as a millimeter wave (mmWave) antenna and the antenna
element of the second antenna system 200 may be referred to as a
mobile antenna performing a MIMO operation. In addition, the second
antenna system 200 may be referred to as a 4.times. mobile antenna
because it has a capability of simultaneously receiving up to four
streams from a base station using four antenna elements. Also,
referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the first antenna system 100 and the
second antenna system 200 may be disposed on the side surfaces or
the bottom surface of the dielectric hexahedron. Also, the first
antenna system 100 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the
hexahedron. Here, the first antenna system 100 may include one
antenna element or one array antenna or may include the first to
fourth array antennas. On the other hand, the second antenna system
200 may include first to fourth MIMO antennas disposed on the side
surfaces of the hexahedron.
[0123] More specifically, referring to FIG. 2, the first antenna
system 100 may include the first to fourth array antennas disposed
on the four side surfaces of the hexahedron each having the
predetermined inclination angle, and the second antenna system 200
may include the first to fourth MIMO antennas disposed between the
first to fourth array antennas. Also, referring to FIGS. 3 to 5,
the first antenna system 100 may be disposed on the bottom surface
of the hexahedron, and the second antenna system 200 may include
the first to fourth MIMO antennas disposed on the side surfaces of
the hexahedron. Here, the first antenna system 100 may include one
antenna element or one array antenna or may include the first to
fourth array antennas.
[0124] Meanwhile, the beamforming in the first communication system
100 may employ an adaptive beamforming scheme in which a beam width
is varied. That is, when a signal or signal-to-interference ratio
received from the first communication system 100 is a threshold
value or more, the first beamforming may be performed by using at
least one of the first to fourth array antennas in the diversity
mode. On the other hand, when the received signal or
signal-to-interference ratio is below the threshold value, the
second beamforming which is finer than the first beamforming may be
performed by combining the first to fourth array antennas.
[0125] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 7, the power amplifier 120, the
low-noise amplifier 130, and the phase shifter 140 may be provided
in the RF IC or the RF front end of FIG. 14.
[0126] Referring to FIG. 13, the antenna & modem PCB 600' and
the main PCB 700' located at the upper and lower ends of the
integrated module may be interfaced through the B-to-B connector
800. Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, components within the inner area
indicated by the dashed line are disposed on the modem card 600 or
the antenna & modem PCB 600'. On the other hand, a plurality of
components including the AP in the outer area indicated by the
dashed line are disposed on the main board 700 or the main PCB
700'.
[0127] With the configuration and the control method, the present
invention can provide a flat type vehicle antenna capable of
providing not only existing mobile communication services but also
next generation communication services.
[0128] According to at least one embodiment of the present
invention, a plurality of communication services can be provided
through a flat vehicle antenna having beamforming array antennas
capable of providing a next generation communication service and
MIMO antennas capable of providing an existing mobile communication
service.
[0129] Further, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the
present invention, different types of antennas can be disposed on
side surfaces or a bottom surface of a dielectric structure in
various ways, and a plurality of communication services can be
provided by using those antennas.
[0130] The controller (modem or application processor) can be
implemented as computer-readable codes in a program-recorded
medium. The computer-readable medium may include all types of
recording devices each storing data readable by a computer system.
Examples of such computer-readable media may include hard disk
drive (HDD), solid state disk (SSD), silicon disk drive (SDD), ROM,
RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage
element and the like. Also, the computer-readable medium may also
be implemented as a format of carrier wave (e.g., transmission via
an Internet). The computer may include the controller of the
terminal. Therefore, it should also be understood that the
above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details
of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but
rather should be construed broadly within its scope as defined in
the appended claims, Therefore, all changes and modifications that
fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalents of
such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the
appended claims.
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